Track 5 of Born In The U.S.A., 1984.
- Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: piano, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Clarence Clemons: percussion, backing vocals
- Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
- Garry Tallent: bass, backing vocals
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums, backing vocals
Performed live 170 times (not including snippet performances).
- 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2016-09-07 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016-09-01 Nationals Park, Washington, DC
- 2016-08-30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
- 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
- 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2013-09-21 Cidade Do Rock, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- 2013-09-14 Estadio G.E.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2013-07-27 Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
- 2013-06-30 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England
- 2013-06-29 Stade De France, Saint Denis, France
- 2013-06-22 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- 2013-06-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 2013-05-26 Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
- 2013-05-11 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
- 2013-04-30 Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
- 2013-03-26 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
- 2012-11-17 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
- 2012-10-31 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
- 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2012-07-23 Koengen, Bergen, Norway
- 2012-07-05 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 2012-06-11 Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy
- 2012-05-18 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- 2012-04-16 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 2009-10-09 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2009-10-03 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2009-06-30 Stade De Suisse, Bern, Switzerland
- 2009-06-05 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2009-04-03 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ
- 2008-06-29 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2008-05-31 Emirates Stadium, London, England
- 2005-11-11 Ted Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk, VA
- 2005-06-27 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany
- 2005-06-25 Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2003-07-27 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2003-06-12 AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany
- 2002-08-30 Savvis Center, St. Louis, MO
- 2000-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
- 2000-04-09 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
- 1999-11-28 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 1999-11-19 Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY
- 1999-11-17 Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
- 1999-08-11 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1999-06-24 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1999-06-13 Bruno-Plache-Stadion, Leipzig, Germany
- 1993-06-01 Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 1993-05-25 Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
- 1993-05-22 National Bowl (The), Milton Keynes, England
- 1993-05-20 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 1993-05-16 Alter Flughafen-Riem, Munich, Germany
- 1993-05-14 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany
- 1993-05-07 Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
- 1993-05-05 Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
- 1993-05-01 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
- 1993-04-24 Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
- 1992-07-31 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1992-07-04 Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain
- 1992-06-30 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 1992-06-25 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
- 1992-06-21 Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
- 1988-08-03 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- 1988-08-02 Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
- 1988-07-30 Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany
- 1988-07-27 Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 1988-07-25 Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1988-07-22 Waldbühne, West Berlin, West Germany
- 1988-07-19 Radrennbahn Weissensee, East Berlin, East Germany
- 1988-07-17 Olympia-Reitstadion Riem, Munich, West Germany
- 1988-07-14 St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland
- 1988-07-12 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
- 1988-07-10 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
- 1988-07-09 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
- 1988-07-07 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 1988-07-03 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1985-09-29 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1985-09-24 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
- 1985-09-23 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
- 1985-09-19 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
- 1985-09-18 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
- 1985-09-14 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
- 1985-09-13 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
- 1985-09-09 Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
- 1985-09-06 Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN
- 1985-09-04 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI
- 1985-09-01 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-31 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-27 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON
- 1985-08-26 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON
- 1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-19 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-18 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-08-14 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
- 1985-08-11 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1985-08-09 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
- 1985-08-07 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
- 1985-08-05 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
- 1985-07-07 Roundhay Park, Leeds, England
- 1985-07-06 Wembley Stadium, London, England
- 1985-07-03 Wembley Stadium, London, England
- 1985-06-29 Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France
- 1985-06-25 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France
- 1985-06-23 Stade Richter, Montpellier, France
- 1985-06-21 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 1985-06-18 Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany
- 1985-06-15 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
- 1985-06-12 Stadion Feijenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 1985-06-08 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 1985-06-05 St. James' Park, Newcastle, England
- 1985-06-04 St. James' Park, Newcastle, England
- 1985-06-01 Slane Castle, Slane, Ireland
- 1985-04-15 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyōgi-jō, Tokyo, Japan
- 1985-04-10 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyōgi-jō, Tokyo, Japan
- 1985-04-03 Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia
- 1985-03-27 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
- 1985-03-23 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
- 1985-03-21 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
- 1985-01-26 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
- 1985-01-23 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
- 1985-01-18 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
- 1985-01-15 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
- 1985-01-13 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
- 1985-01-10 Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
- 1985-01-07 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
- 1985-01-04 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
- 1984-12-16 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA
- 1984-12-13 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
- 1984-12-11 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- 1984-12-06 Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena, Birmingham, AL
- 1984-11-29 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1984-11-25 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
- 1984-11-23 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
- 1984-11-16 Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
- 1984-11-15 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
- 1984-11-11 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
- 1984-11-08 ASU Activity Center, Tempe, AZ
- 1984-11-02 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-31 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-29 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-10-22 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
- 1984-10-21 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
- 1984-10-17 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
- 1984-10-15 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
- 1984-09-25 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
- 1984-09-24 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
- 1984-09-22 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1984-09-17 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1984-09-12 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1984-09-11 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1984-09-08 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
- 1984-09-07 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
- 1984-09-05 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
- 1984-07-02 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN
Released on Born In The U.S.A. (1984).
Live versions are available on the following 24 official live downloads:
- 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2016-09-07 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016-09-01 Nationals Park, Washington, DC
- 2016-08-30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
- 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
- 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2012-07-05 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 2005-06-25 Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1993-05-14 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany
- 1988-07-03 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V1 | 1:11 | FFOD / HNWB |
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V2 | 0.34 | LM-10 |
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V3 take 3 | 2:22 | LM-1 / HNWB / MT2 / ESR |
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V4a | 3:17 | THLRR / BUERM / TDB / LM-19 / GS |
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V4b | 3:29 | BITUSA |
| DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V5 | uncirculating |
Note: V1 and V2 are brief acoustic demos that were recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ in late 1981. V1 includes the closing line used in both the Nebraska take and the final Born In The U.S.A. album version: "don't it feel like you're a rider [baby], on a downbound train." V2 is just harmonies, with no lyrical content. V3 is a full acoustic run-through of the song on January 3, 1982, with the patented Nebraska ending. Described by Springsteen in his notes to Jon Landau as an "uptempo rocker for full effect / needs band / could be exciting."
Power Station logs show sessions took place on April 27 and 28 and May 3, 5 and 6 (V4). V4a features Springsteen's count-in, a small lyrical variation in the first verse left over from the acoustic demo ("laid off down at the auto yard" rather than "lumber yard"), some vocal howls in the mid-section, more up-front acoustic guitar over the final verse, and a shorter fade-out. Nearly a year later Bruce returned to "Downbound Train" on February 3, 1983 (V5) at Thrill Hill West, his Hollywood Hills garage studio. However, it was the 1982 cut that was issued on Born In The U.S.A. in 1984.
Studio Sessions: Born In The U.S.A.
Downbound Train |
I had a job, I had a girl
I had something going mister in this world
I got laid off down at the lumber yard
Our love went bad, times got hard
Now I work down at the carwash
Where all it ever does is rain
Don't you feel like you're a rider on a downbound train
She just said "Joe I gotta go
We had it once we ain't got it any more"
She packed her bags left me behind
She bought a ticket on the Central Line
Nights as I sleep, I hear that whistle whining
I feel her kiss in the misty rain
And I feel like I'm a rider on a downbound train
Last night I heard your voice
You were crying, crying, you were so alone
You said your love had never died
You were waiting for me at home
Put on my jacket, I ran through the woods
I ran till I thought my chest would explode
There in the clearing, beyond the highway
In the moonlight, our wedding house shone
I rushed through the yard, I burst through the front door
My head pounding hard, up the stairs I climbed
The room was dark, our bed was empty
Then I heard that long whistle whine
And I dropped to my knees, hung my head and cried
Now I swing a sledge hammer on a railroad gang
Knocking down them cross ties, working in the rain
Now don't it feel like you're a rider on a downbound train
| Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song. |
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